Cattle Shows, MBA Spotlights and 2009 Countdown

The next couple of days are going to be a whirlwind for me as we are loading up four show calves to take to the 2009 Corn Palace Winter Calf Show right here in Mitchell, S.D. With my parents on the show committee, it means that my sisters and I get roped into setting up and helping to register the other exhibitors. As a result, I'll be blogging on location, but before I head out to load the trailer this morning, I thought I would share a recent interview I had with another alumni of the
Masters of Beef Advocacy Program, Chuck Crutcher.

Crutcher is an active Kentucky cattleman, and he offered some great insights on the state of the industry today and the importance of reaching out to our consumers, especially in the classroom. You can listen to my interview with him here.

And, to continue our countdown from yesterday, I've listed the #8 and #7 spots on the most visited blog spots of 2009 below. Check them out!

Laura Nielson is a born and raised cowgirl. She grew up on her family’s farm near Hartford, S.D., where the Nielsons raise 450 dairy cows, 400 replacement heifers and 3,000 acres of crops. At a young age, Nielson always knew she wanted to be a farmer. She loved being outdoors with the animals more than anything else in the world. Today, this 22-year-old is still on the farm, enjoying her passions for agriculture as she works alongside her dad and uncle at Nielson Farms.

KFC is now offering recalls to a huge number of people after Oprah offered free coupons for Kentucky Grilled Chicken Meals at her website. Winfrey said the offer was simply a gesture to help her viewers struggling with the effects of recession, but now she is getting “grilled” for this major contradiction in her many outspoken views. Why is Oprah, a past PETA person of the year, offering chicken meals to her viewers?

BEEF Daily Quick Fact: In today's society, there is little understanding of the daily realities of actual agricultural life. Cowboys are more often associated with (mostly fictitious) Indian-fighting than with their actual life of ranch work and cattle-tending. Actors such as John Wayne are thought of as exemplifying a cowboy ideal, even though western movies seldom bear much resemblance to real cowboy life. (Source: Wikipedia "Cowboy")